Workshop 11: Transformation

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Exploring Our Values Through Poetry, High School

In This Section

Introduction
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Well, that’s the trick: the sudden unexpectedness inside the overknown. — Heather McHugh This is the last workshop before planning the Poetry Slam. Both the planning and the presentation of the Poetry Slam provide opportunity for participants to use their individual voice and for the group to use…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 5 Activity 1: Transforming Communities 20 Activity 2: Life Recipes 30 Faith in Action: Time Capsule Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Poetry Improv 15 Alternate Activity 2: Recipes and Equations 15 Alternate Activity 3: Journal Review…
Spiritual Preparation
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

In Workshop 10, You and Me, we asked you to think about how much of your true self you have contributed to this program. Now ask yourself another question: if you have indeed brought aspects of your true self to this program, have you been transformed as a result?
Opening
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and matches Description of Activity Use the Opening designed by your group or the one provided below. Gather around the chalice. As a volunteer lights the chalice, ask the group to focus on the word “transformation” in silence. After about…
Activity 1: Transforming Communities
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, “Pull the Next One Up,” by Marc Kelly Smith Journals and pens/pencils Preparation for Activity Photocopy Handout 1, “Pull the Next One Up,” one for each participant. Description of Activity Distribute Handout 1, “Pull the Next One…
Activity 2: Life Recipes
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Large index cards, one for each participant Pens or pencils Newsprint or a dry erase board and markers Preparation for Activity If you choose to use the Dewey Delight recipe provided below as an example, consider writing it on newsprint before…
Closing
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, one for each participant Description of Activity Use the Closing designed by your group or the one provided below. Recite together Reading 712 from Singing the Living Tradition: Do not be conformed to…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Discuss which activities were successful and which ones were less so with your co-leader. If you are storing time capsules until they are complete, make sure you have a safe and private place to keep them. The next two workshops will be used to plan the Poetry Slam….
Faith In Action: Time Capsule
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Materials for Activity Shoeboxes, mail tubes, or plastic storage containers, one for each participant Arts and crafts materials Journals and pens or pencils Newsprint or dry erase board and markers Other materials as mentioned in the activity and contributed by participants Description of Activit…
Alternate Activity 1: Poetry Improv
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Small slips of paper Journals and pens or pencils Several envelopes, bowls, boxes-anything in which to collect the slips of paper-one container per category you choose Preparation for Activity In this activity, you will ask participants to contribu…
Alternate Activity 2: Recipes And Equations
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Journals and pens or pencils Preparation for Activity Post the list of poet’s tools from Workshop 1, Listening and Speaking with Poetry, where it can be seen by all: Figurative Language Form, Line, Stanza Sound, Rhythm, Repetition Tone and Form…
Alternate Activity 3: Journal Review
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Materials for Activity Journals and pens or pencils Description of Activity Participants review their journals and finish incomplete work. As the date for the Poetry Slam approaches, encourage participants to use whatever time remains at the end of the workshops to review the writing in their…
Taking It Home: Transformation
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Well, that’s the trick: the sudden unexpectedness inside the overknown. — Heather McHugh DURING TODAY’S WORKSHOP… We discussed how our lives are balanced between the individual self and the self in community.. We created recipe cards that attempt to describe our complex lives. REFLECTION…
Handout 1: Pull the Next One Up

Marc Kelly Smith

From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

When you get to the top of the mountain Pull the next one up. Then there’ll be two of you Roped together at the waist Tired and proud, knowing the mountain, Knowing the human force it took To bring both of you there. And when the second one has finished taking in the view, Satisfied by the heat…
Find Out More
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

You can find “Pull the Next One Up” in the anthology, The Spoken Word Revolution, edited by Mark Eleveld (Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2003). Marc Kelly Smith is considered the Poetry Slam founder. A WikiHow page offers ideas for building time capsules.

Download all of Exploring Our Values (Word) (PDF) to edit or print.

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Workshop 11: Transformation

Tapestry is Sunsetting

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